


Conditional

by APendingThought



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst and Feels, Caring, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fever, Fluff, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Krolia is a many level badass, Maternal!Krolia, Medical Examination, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, Nurturing, Peril, Protectiveness, Quintessence is a weird syrup, Sick Character, Sickfic, Space Family!, Who's The Daddy?, baby!Lance, baby!feels, hints of klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-05-31 08:50:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15115964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APendingThought/pseuds/APendingThought
Summary: When Krolia and Keith venture back into the Quintessence Field to retrieve any signs of Lotor or evidence of his wrongdoings. Lance insists on going along, not fully understanding what effect the time continuum will have on his very human form.Keith assumes one of the most difficult missions he’s ever faced since donning the role of Black Paladin. Babies are a battlefield.





	1. Unknown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MilkTeaMiku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilkTeaMiku/gifts).
  * Inspired by [My Youth Is Yours](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7502169) by [MilkTeaMiku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilkTeaMiku/pseuds/MilkTeaMiku). 



> I may not be the biggest fan of Lance McClain but that doesn’t mean he’s not a great character. I remain objective. Successfully dodging many of the trite/boorish traits of his predecessor, Season 6 revealed some more than solid introspective on Lance as the most human entity on the team. His love for Allura is endearing and I hope they have many space babies. 
> 
> Speaking of babies, it’s Lance’s turn.
> 
> A multi-chapter because baby!Lance is extra and demands a long, drawn out, space opera when he's sick. Sorry-not-sorry, Keith.

They’d been scouting the peripheral of the Time-Space Continuum well beyond their original parameter and the passage of time was beginning show its weight on the human. Prince Lotor has never been careless as a soldier--a snake knows to hide its own tracks. Their only hope was that some alchemic signature might still linger in the depths beyond the hazardous cluster of aimless astral bodies. The search was a task designed for Galra, hardier and more relentless in their pursuits. All would have been well had the Earthling pilot not insisted on inclusion. 

She had to admit, his logic was not completely flawed.

“Hunk’s been assigned tele-duv duty, Pidge is cracking ancient codes, Shiro and Allura are hunting down the bastard but I ain’t doing diddly squat. If you run across any evidence, you’ll need an extra man to cargo it back to the castle. I’m your guy.”

Her response had been blunt but not unkind. “No human has ever breached this domain of the galaxy, Paladin. I commend your courage but as my son and I have passed through the rift and returned, I think it best only we attempt to do so again.”

She’d noted the way Keith averted his eyes, the human ache in him raw and exposed. Before Lance could argue, Keith spoke.

“Humans are naturally curious. Like the Galra, they also have fighting instinct and I’ve trusted Lance in battle before. Besides, a sharpshooter may come in handy if we encounter anymore bio-shards.” 

She conceded. Keith was head of this mission. His word was final.

“Very well.” To Lance she said: “Suit up.”

Cargo pilot, indeed.

The ancient Altean Pod had not been crafted for hostile space fields. Even its defenses and shields were outdated, far less sophisticated than the most rudimentary Galran cruiser. Keith was hesitant to bring the Black Lion into the field, unsure how its quintessence would react to the chaotic forces in the rift. Lance volunteered to pilot Red, Keith’s former lion. The Lion could lend cover and fly more nimbly between orbits. No sooner had they departed the castle dock when the Blue Paladin began to reveal another unsettling human trait—something called humor. 

Krolia’s fist curled in irritation each time his communication link opened.

“So Keith, I see the fruit don’t fall too far from the mullet.”

Keith cut him off with characteristic brusqueness. “Focus on the astral field. One false move and you jeopardize—“

“But seriously, she makes that hairdo look so...correct!”

“Quiet, Lance!”

“It’s the 80’s all over again.” Lance’s voice held a dreamlike quality, one entirely inappropriate for radio communication.

“You weren’t even born in the—“ Keith was losing patience.

Krolia at last intervened. “You were the one who insisted on assignment to this mission. Your commander just gave you a direct order. Disobey again, and I’ll be forced to discipline you. Understood, human?”

Lance’s communication link instantly blinked off. Not another word came from him. 

Keith released the irritated snarl he’d been holding. Krolia turned a hot gaze on her son. 

“And _you_. Keep your subordinate in line.”

“Vrepit Sa.” He muttered.

The thrum of the Space-Time Continuum was palpable as the magnetic fields began to light up on their navigational radar. Keith re-opened his com link to the Red Lion, once he'd confirmed the coordinates. 

“We’re about to enter." He warned. "Stay close. We might encounter hostile polygonal creatures with a single eye. Don’t let them near Red, shoot first and evade engagement. I don’t know what they are but they’re predatory.” 

“Roger that.” Lance responded, hovering Red just a few miles overhead.

A sudden wave shook the vessel and Keith cursed, eyeing his scanners. “Dammit.” He growled. “Krolia, any visual on--?”

“Negative. This is the same route we took last time! Stay your course!”

Keith obliged, revving the engine full throttle against the onslaught. The ship swayed and listed, fighting against the sonic blast of quintessence emanating from its core. 

“Lance! Take Red out! See if she can outrun the current! We’re right behind you!”

“This is crazy!” Lance cried. “What is this pull? It's sucking us in!”

“Just keep Red out of it and lock on coordinate!”

Without warning, a sudden colossal blast rocked their foundations, triggering the emergency protocol siren. In her haste to adjust the navigation link, Krolia was thrown to the floor with a loud curse. 

“Keith! Take us out!” 

He did not answer, focused entirely on regaining control of the vessel. Helpless against the natural forces as a ship to a tidal wave, the relentless current forced them off their charted path and into the unknown of the time blast.

“Lance!” Keith shouted. “Lance, pull up! Now!”

The sonic boom deafened. 

In a nanosecond, all around turned white and static. The powerful release was brief. A breathless moment and it was finished, silence once more overtaking the hull.

The shock had been absorbed by the entire vessel but the velocity pull had been too great. There was no telling the condition of the antiquated Altean engines. Venturing further into the rift was too great a risk, they would have to double back and re-check the apparatus. 

Through gritted teeth, Krolia ordered her son to accelerate the main thrust out of the reaction zone. Her tone was the same she'd command any underling. However, an underling was expendable, her flesh and blood was not.

Keith obeyed before the command was even given, natural instinct for crisis kicking in the moment she’d detected the sonic flare up on her scanner. He’d held on tight, re-structuring the trajectory of their course with all the tenacity and strength she recognized in her own race. 

He’d redeemed them, by the Long Spear of the Mighty. Knowledge or Death. Victory or Death. Sometimes a warrior must rely on both.

“Quiznak!” She growled from her position on the ship floor. “Is everyone whole?”

Keith’s air was coming from him in shallow, quick pants but he seemed unhurt. 

“Fine.” He clicked on the link to Red. “Lance, come in. Are you alright? Lance!”

Only silence from the Red Lion. 

Krolia inspected the com-link. Red's communications were fully functioning and unaffected. She’d taken on the same blast they had and survived. Keith scanned his screen for Lance’s bio signs, relieved to see the bluish glow of the lifeline still thrumming. Perhaps the quintessence field had not exacted any toll.

“Probably unconscious.” She muttered.

Keith turned panicked eyes on her. Commander he was but still young yet, part of him still human. How keenly he understood their frailty.

“I’ll go.” Krolia muttered, shoving on her helmet. “Open the hatch.”

The air around the ship still wavered with the force of the time blast. The Red Lion drifted lifelessly, carried by the orbit’s gravity pull. It was not hard to use her suit thrusters to rebound off the pod and latch securely onto Red’s paw. Using her claws to find solid purchase, she crawled up the body of the vessel until she located the pilot escape hatch.

Before she could even locate a security panel to breach, Red released its airlock with a hiss, allowing her entry without bypass. Somehow the beast understood her paladin was in danger. 

“Lance?” She called up into the dim tunnel of the airlock. Red’s emergency protocol lights flickered on and off, painting her interior a vivid scarlet. Krolia squinted behind her visor, her visuals poor. A strange, high pitched interference met her ears. An unfamiliar, organic sound she had not witnessed in a millennia. Hastily, she scrambled up the small air-tight chute leading to the pilot antechamber, shocked at the absence of a human profile in the seat. Within the chamber, a single space helmet drifted unnoticed. She grabbed it with a curse, teeth clenching. 

“No! Lance!”

Rushing the command center, what she observed made her freeze. 

She'd expected any number of things. More realistically, a pitiful human half-pilot slumped and bleeding on the floor. She did not expect to find the pilot seat containing a puddle of black protective fabric and hollow blue armor. Something that squealed and squirmed lay concealed within the layer of fabric. Something desperately trying to catch its breath.

Her quick hands made short work of the material to uncover the infant, squalling and thrashing. His entire body was bright red from his struggle to take in air but once freed, the volume in the small chamber instantly became unbearable.

“By the Spectra!” With shaking hands, she bent to scoop up the tiny creature, holding him close to her body. Finding the main panel, she half-guessed a relatively universal reboot code and instantly the red warning lights vanished. Once engaged, Red’s regulatory sensors blinked on. Keith’s anxious voice crackled over the open intercom.

“Krolia, come in!" He cried. “Mom! Is Lance alright?”

Wide-eyed, Krolia glanced down in disbelief at the struggling, warm life form against her breast. 

“Almost. Hold on.” With one hand, she clicked on the monitors to give Keith a visual. The moment the image cleared, Keith’s eyes flung open in shock.

“Is…is that…?” He whispered, face drained of color.

“I told you we shouldn’t have brought him.”


	2. We'll Just Have to Figure This Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith assesses the problem. Finds more than he bargained for.

Krolia groused, wincing at the high-pitched cries piercing her sensitive ears. She'd forgotten how cantankerous and loud young humans could be. Keith recovered hastily from his shock, seeing to the most immediate need first.

“He’s uh…naked.” He uttered, blinking for the first time in seconds.

“Not much around to wrap him in.” She sighed, spying the cast off paladin suit. With her claws, she easily ripped out a sizeable portion of fabric from the torso, enough to cover his nakedness and stay his shivering. It wasn't the best option but the only one. The child seemed to settle down once he’d been swaddled securely but his tiny wandering hands would not stop grabbing for purchase at her long hair.

“We have to get him back to the ship.” Keith was already typing in return coordinates. 

“Why?” Krolia tilted her head. “He’s unharmed. Just smaller and noisier.”

“Human babies aren’t built like Galra. He’ll jeopardize the mission. We have to turn back.” Keith sighed. 

“Fine.” She collapsed into the empty pilot seat. “So what now? I cannot pilot this vessel.”

“We’ll have to switch.” Keith activated his helmet. “Red should remember me. Just keep him in one piece until I get there.” He clicked off.

Now all to herself, she could focus on the infant. Curiously, she held up the screaming baby by the arms to examine him, ignoring his cries and thrashing. How small he was, she mused. Not very unlike Galra though Keith had been far quieter if memory served. Her eyes softened. It had been so long since she’d held her own infant and then she could never have imagined the youth he’d grow into. She sighed. Now he was a man and that interim of his life had long passed her by. A faint stir of regret swelled in her breast but she hastily tamped it down. Now was not the time.

Lance's screaming grew louder, not liking the position and distance from her warmth.

“Calmly Little one.” She whispered, holding him once again close against her body. “You’ve caused enough trouble.” Temperately she patted his back but the panicked howls continued.

It did not take long for Keith to breach Red’s interior and for that she was grateful. The caterwauling of the tiny life form had begun to grate on her. Too tired to make any further attempt to soothe him, she merely held him in her grasp to prevent him from flailing to the floor and injuring himself. Her son gasped at the scene he arrived to. Lance’s little body didn’t even span the length of one of her arms. 

“Well commander.” She greeted him over the din. “Looks like this mission’s been compromised.”

“Forget the mission. Lance has been compromised.” He stood there numbly shaking his head in shock, sounding all too human and nothing like a Galra. Perhaps that was the missing link? Carefully, she rose from the pilot seat so as not to jostle the baby and offered the unstable bundle to him.

He blinked at her in surprise.

“Uh… you’re not..?” He stammered, at a loss.

“Taking him out there?” Krolia lifted an eyebrow. “He can barely survive in here. I’ll cover your exit.”

“But—“ It rattled her to see him so ill at ease and hesitant. It was just an infant, by the Mighty Spear, not a bio-weapon!

“Take him.” She ordered. Unable to disobey, Keith held out his arms.

Perhaps it was the skin to skin contact or the familiarity of Keith’s scent but the moment Lance settled in his new surroundings, his howls quieted. Tucked safely in the crook of Keith’s bicep, he jammed his tiny fingers into his mouth and began to suck. Krolia lifted an eloquent brow.

“Guess he likes you.” She smirked as Keith secured himself into the pilot's harness one-handed, typing in the command code to ready the Lion for launch. To his profound relief, Red responded with a welcoming thrum. 

"Good to be back girl." He whispered. Krolia spoke from behind his shoulder.

“I don’t want to engage anything on our way out. You will need to multi-task in order to get you both out safely. Understand?”

“Got it.” Keith nodded curtly, gaze fixed ahead.

With surprising gentleness, she traced an absent claw through the baby’s down of soft brown hair. “You can navigate one-handed, can’t you?”

“Hey, whose kid am I?” He cocked a grin. 

Locking her helmet in place, she readied herself for ejection, turning towards the exit hatch. “I’ll meet you back at the castle, Commander.”

The moment the hatch door sealed shut, Lance started; frightened by the noise. Finding no comfort and irritated at being woken, the baby began to whimper.

“Shhh! No, no, no.” Keith begged, clutching the small body tighter as Red sprang to her haunches, jostling the command center in preparation for blast off. Lance shrieked, tiny face scrunching up and turning bright red. Caught between the launch program and Lance's rapidly bubbling rage, Keith found all he could do was beg.

“It’s ok, it’s ok, it’s—“ 

With a surge of energy, Red blasted up and out into the star stream. Lance’s little lungs expanded with air and he screamed.

“Why?” Keith asked no one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Space, no one can hear you scream.


	3. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It begins.

Keith did the math in his head, one clammy hand steady on Red’s main thruster and the other locked on Lance's small belly. Lance had been an infant for exactly 3 vargas. Thus far, he’d spent two of them continuously crying. 

Where did he even find the air? 

Lance trembled and shook in his arms, a miniature emergency barely contained in the shreds of a discarded space suit. The labored breathing, the pitch and sense of urgency in his screaming, coupled with clenched fists, stiffened limbs, and jerky movements were not the responses of a healthy infant. Keith understood that much but he hadn’t the foggiest idea how to change that.

“Hold on Lance. Almost there.” He spoke aloud anyway, knowing how useless it was to address Lance like the adult he no longer was. Perhaps he was saying it more for himself. Once cleared of the quintessence field’s perilous magnetic gravity wells, he could safely lock onto Auto-pilot. That would leave both hands free.

He’d hoped the swaying in-flight motion of the vessel would lull the infant as he lowered the throttle and adjusted the internal thermostat. No dice. Lance was inconsolable.

Perhaps he was just too cold? Too hot? How was he supposed to gauge an infant? While the internal climate setting might have been sufficient enough for an adult, Lance’s little body seemed to exert a lot more heat for his rage. Getting so worked up required tons of energy. The baby was giving off heat like crazy for such a tiny being. Keith frowned, patting his hand up and down on Lance’s quivering belly.

“It’s ok. It’s ok. I’m here, I’m here.” He soothed to no effect. Lance cried on. Keith muttered a curse and switched tactics. He put Red on Auto-pilot, freeing both hands to lift the screaming infant off his lap.

“Krolia.” He clicked on the transmitter. “Status.”

“Just cleared the astral field. About 2.5 vargas ETA to castle. How are things?”

“Not great.” He shifted Lance’s too warm weight against his chest. “He feels kinda hot.”

“We’ll run a diagnostic once we get back. The quintessence reaction is likely interfering with his body's regulation system.”

“Any ideas?”

“Hydrate him. It’ll cool him down. That might be the reason for all his crying.”

One handed, Keith rummaged around Red’s ration compartments until he found a few hydration packs. Hastily, he ripped one open and aimed the straw at Lance’s mouth, gently dabbing his bottom lip until Lance sensed its presence and began to suckle strongly.

“What I tell you?” Krolia hummed. 

For the first time since his transformation, Lance was finally content now that he had something in his mouth. His chubby face still wet with tears, blue eyes glared upward at Keith as if to say: _About time, pendejo._

“Thanks. I’ll take it from here.” Keith sighed, grateful for the momentary peace. Lance drained the packet in quick tiny gulps, shifting now and again to hitch a minuscule breath and hiccup. When he’d had enough, he pushed the now offending straw out of his mouth and gurgled up. Before Keith could even react, clear warm spit ran in a stream down his chin and onto Keith’s gloved wrist.

Keith grimaced, swiping his now damp glove against his thigh. “Ugh.”

Lance, whose dialogue was blessedly limited, cooed.


	4. Keep Me Breathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mothers can detect the warning signs. Fussiness. Red cheeks. Barking coughs. Keith, however, is far from being a mom. He barely ever had one. Lance's condition worsens and now Keith not only has to keep Red in the air, but Lance breathing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The peril ensues. Leave it to Lance not only to get turned into a little baby but a sick little baby!
> 
> Partially inspired by this devastating artwork by bibisarts: http://bibisarts.tumblr.com/post/170647937300/langsty-mc-langstface-bibisarts-part-2-of-my
> 
> I spend way too much time getting inspired on Tumblr. Should be outlawed.

After his drink, Lance was quickly knocked out. This relieved Keith to no end, sagging back against Red’s pilot seat and relaxing his tight, throbbing shoulders. They'd been tensed up so long, he could feel them twinge as he consciously began to relax.

The baby’s rest was fitful. Half-waking to push against his swaddling, little legs kicking outward against Keith’s arm. Keith was near nodding off himself, wearied gaze staring glassily over Red's control panel. Red knew her way home better than he did at this point. That didn't grant him leave to slack, however. The zone they now flew through was uncharted and anything could stumble across their path. Best to keep alert. 

Not that Lance made it easy. Babies were such an enigma, Lance even more so. His training and experience up until now had not prepared him to ensure the life of something so very small and fragile. A little light that could go out at the slightest err. He was aware of his heart beating uncomfortably fast, stress and exhaustion getting the better of his focus.

A sharp garbled noise stirred him to full wakefulness, a harsh bark followed by a tiny wheeze. Keith realized Lance was now awake and rubbing at his eyes, choking on what must be his own saliva. Keith blinked down in disbelief. Didn’t babies know to swallow? 

Thinking fast, Keith lifted and bent him over his shoulder, slapping a series of gentle taps between his small shoulder blades. A loud cough and puff of air escaped the baby and at first, Keith was relieved to hear the perilous obstruction cleared. The relief was short lived, however, as the coughing returned. Now that Lance had acquired some extra air in his lungs, he could use it to take out his frustrations on the world.

Keith cringed with a silent curse. Babies were louder than any solar flare up. Of course, Lance would end up getting sick in this state. Just to make his own life more unbearable. He tucked Lance's hot little body into the crook of one arm, requiring the other to search.

Fumbling about Red’s supply cache, he searched blindly, hoping to find whatever it was Lance needed. Coughing was never a good sign. His body temperature was rising too, the messy patch of dark hair now clinging to his forehead with sweat. Keith's thoughts spiraled rapidly into panic. Did Red even store medicine? No. Nothing safe to give an infant. She did, however, have emergency reserves of oxygen.

Quickly pulling out the tubing, he realized the clear plastic mask was meant for an adult, big enough to cover Lance’s entire face. Switching it on, a cool hiss of oxygen gently flowed. Lance, however, did not take to the mask, shoving it roughly away even as he continued to cry and cough. Keith grit his teeth, the persistent sound of Lance’s coughing making his belly grow even tighter.

“Ungh! Stop it, Lance!” He growled, irritated by the fervent kicking and struggling. “I’m tryna....ugh...trying to help you!”

His angered tone only made things worse. Lance’s howling shifted to a more frantic wailing, little lungs heaving desperately in and out.

He flicked on his com-link: “Krolia, come in!” 

"Report."

“Lance is sick. Something’s wrong with his breathing. Can’t get him to take…ungh…any oxygen! Gah! He keeps fighting me!” 

“Lower your voice.” Krolia commanded without reaction. “You can’t help Lance if you’re not in control yourself.”

"I'm IN control!" He insisted, a growl rising in his chest. "I _know_ what he needs!" 

"No." She said simply. "You don't. Check yourself."

Keith did. Or at least he tried to. The constant screams were blocking his flow of thought, jarring his concentration. 

“I’m….” Keith panted, squeezing his eyes shut. “He’s making all these sounds; I just…just can’t--”

“You’re getting riled. Stop. Lance’s life depends on you now.”

Keith glanced down at the struggling, feverish infant in his arms. All Lance could do was scream between attacks of strangled coughing and even those were getting weaker the longer he howled.

“Control your breathing. That is one thing you can do that he cannot. Feel your heart slow.” Krolia’s steady voice guided him.

Keith was familiar with such words. The Blades had schooled him as much in how to regulate during a crisis, seeing the threat before him with clear eyes. To do so meant being aware of one’s own bio signs. Helplessness had kicked his adrenaline into fight mode, making him lose focus. He took in a slow inhale, felt his own chest swell with air and release slowly. He repeated until his vision was less hazed, his mind clearer.

“Now. Give him your little finger to suck on. Once he’s calm and knows he’s safe, he won’t even notice the mask. Shoving a big object in an infant’s face is scary; he doesn’t know what it is. All he knows is that he's sick, he can’t get enough air and you’re upset.”

“He knows I’m upset?”

“Babies aren’t stupid. They have survival instincts just like you or me.”

“Right.” Keith jounced Lance gently up and down in his arms, pulling him closer against his body despite his desperate struggling. “Sssshhh! S’okay, s’okay. I gotcha buddy. It’s gonna be okay.” Offering his pinky against Lance’s little lips, he was relieved when Lance latched desperately on, sucking for comfort. It seemed babies liked having things in their mouths.

In a short minute that felt like hours, Lance stopped thrashing and his wails mellowed into hitching hiccups. As gently as possible, he shifted the baby’s head against his chest and took up the oxygen mask again. He controlled his tone, speaking soothingly.

“This mask is gonna help you. All you gotta do for me is breathe. Deal?” Instead of applying the mask directly, he opted to hover it just over the baby’s nose and mouth, letting the air flow into Lance’s laboring lungs. Pressed against his chest, he let Lance feel his own breathing, making efforts to keep it slow, controlled and calm.

“There you go. That’s it.”

The plastic dome misted, indicating gas exchange. Within seconds, Lance’s color improved, shifting from hectic purplish-red to an even pink. His labored breaths slowed and even the harsh coughing subsided. Keith watched tensely as the baby in his arms began to settle and calm.

Keith suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest, like an invisible string jerking at his strained muscles. With a surprised twitch, he pulled in a long gasping inhale, hardly realizing that he’d stopped breathing once Lance had begun to.


	5. Meet the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crisis averted but for how long? Keith accepts his mission. Pidge and Lance help out.

At the first sharp crackle of exterior interference, Keith jolted straight up in his seat. He silently cursed himself as well as the growing ache in his neck. How had he managed to slip under? He was supposed to be monitoring Lance and flying a mystical robot Lion at the same time. 

Red purred her indifference. As if to say: _I got this._

The warm weight against his chest snapped him back to reality. The baby was mercifully fast asleep, fist clutching the tubing of the oxygen mask over his tiny face. Keith did a cursory inspection of his breathing, noting with relief the regular, if a bit rapid, movement of his belly.  
His next concern was the signal. According to the flickering stats on Red’s navigation, they had entered the castle’s communication zone. Eagerly, he flicked on his com-link.

Pidge’s hopeful face and voice immediately flashed on the monitor.

“Keith! You’re alive! What happened out there? We’ve been--!” Her overexcited rambling juddered to a halt when she spied the bundle in Keith’s arms. “Holy crow! Is that a baby?”

“It’s Lance.” Keith corrected. “And he’s in distress. Lock on my signal and tell Coran to be ready with a scanner.”

“It’s WHAT?!” Pidge’s amplified screech interfered with Red’s sensors.

“Keep it down!” Keith hissed. “I just got him back to sleep. I’ll explain once I’m aboard. Out.” He shut the link again, shifting his attention back to Lance. His respiration seemed drastically improved with the oxygen support but he still felt very hot and limp. Keith hoped he’d remain passed out long enough for landing. He didn’t think he could handle Red’s meticulous docking bay protocols and a fussy baby at the same time.

He guided Red into the hull as smoothly as any pilot could maneuver a gigantic war machine into its den. His command over Red had always been a matter of compromise. Red was eager to be back in her hangar and rid of the unusual life form that had jarringly replaced her bond. Danger she was accustomed to but nebulous infant brains were another matter.

The moment stillness overcame the cockpit and the thrusters hummed to a halt; Keith unhitched his safety harness, bearing Lance gently against him. Lance’s tiny bare foot kicked lightly against his chest, reacting to Keith’s change in position. Keith held his breath, grateful to find Krolia’s space pod already docked. She was safe. They had all returned in one piece.

Well, mostly.

Bracing himself, he released the cockpit door and stepped out of the lion and onto the bridge.

They had all gathered to meet him, shocked expressions identical.

Shiro was first to speak. “What happened?”

Keith averted his gaze. 

“Botched the trajectory, managed to run afoul of a quintessence field. Got caught in a time blast on the outskirts of the TSC. Think Red mighta had something to do with it. Our bonds are based on quintessence…” his drained voice trailed, already exhausted. He wanted to rest, wanted darkness and respite from this disaster. But the fragile weight in his arms wouldn’t be granting him that any time soon. 

“Hey, you got everyone back alive.” Shiro reminded. “Remember that.”

Keith's weak half-smile conveyed his gratitude.

Coran approached with a scanner, a light wand which he waved over the sleeping infant. It buzzed and whirred gently in his hands, emitting a faint bluish glow.

“Hmm. My sensors are picking up worrying levels of quintessence in wee Lance here.” The datapad clipped to his waist blinked to life, instantly running off stat lists and generating figures in Altean.

A sudden explosion of air shot from Lance, face contorting as he woke fully, weakly flexing his little limbs and rubbing his eyes with a closed fist.

“Aw, wuzzat a sneeze?” Hunk cooed, dabbing at his button of a nose with the end of his shirt. The barking cough took that moment to return as did Lance’s whimpering, upset at being woken. Instinctively, Keith began to bounce him in his arms but his gut churned with worry.

“He sounds pretty congested.” Pidge chewed her lip. “He pick up any bugs in the rift?”

“Must have. Running a temp. Breathing off.”

Allura assumed command.

“The strain of the time shift must have been too great. His immune system can’t cope with the rebound.” Her voice was steady but urgent. “Coran, you work on finding a balancing agent. I’ll see if I can find any alchemic solutions to delay the progress of the quintessence until Lance is back to stasis.”

“Can’t we just put him in a cyropod?” Keith could not conceal his confusion. He’d been aching for an immediate solution to Lance’s dire condition. It had been the guiding hope on his mind throughout the long flight back. Coran shook his head. 

“I’m afraid the castle doesn’t contain a cyropod calibrated for infant life forms and with his quintessence levels so out of whack, re-alignment might muck things up beyond our prediction.”

“Agreed.” Krolia appeared from behind Hunk, returning from the interlock bay, space suit exchanged for civilian garments. “There’s too much risk exposing Lance to unstable elements. His body can only handle so much in this state.”

“But—" Keith felt his chest heave. “—he’s sick!” Pleading eyes flew immediately to Shiro, the one person whom Keith could trust for an answer but his mentor said nothing. It was Krolia who responded.

“Then you must care for him, Commander.” 

Keith’s breath stopped in his chest. Shiro held his gaze, the ghost of a confident smile on his lips. Keith got the message—he was still at the helm.

Keith refused to let himself falter or surrender to his fatigue in front of his team though his body was every bit as drained as it felt. Steeling a determined gaze on the burden in his arms, his mouth set in a grim line. Allura drew near, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You are not alone, Keith. We will all assist you in keeping Lance safe until his condition is reversed. As the Black Paladin, you bear great responsibility to your team and right now, Lance needs you as never before.”

A single nod was the only promise Keith had left to give.

It was likely the stress or the exhaustion that detached Keith from proceedings. He never noticed Allura’s presence withdraw, never heard Krolia turn her back. He couldn’t remember feeling himself guided to the paladin lounge and onto a sofa but he knew the hands belonged to those he could trust. He’d only realized he’d been sitting down—Lance’s constant weight against his chest--when his leg muscles cramped.

He was dimly aware of Pidge and Hunk hovering nearby, unable to tear their dual fascination away from their morphed teammate. Lance was wide awake and fussy, worrying at the frayed edges of his swaddling.

“I just…can’t get over how this is Lance! He’s so unbelievably little!” Hunk breathed, one finger gently prodding the sole of Lance’s foot. “Wish he weren’t so sick and crabby. Baby feet are the best.”

“Out of all of us, Lance is the one most experienced with babies.” Pidge mused. Keith nodded numbly, fighting the gnawing sensation in his gut at the constant feverish heat radiating from the infant.

“Do we have something for him to wear?” He wondered out loud. “Or more importantly, a diaper? I’m pretty sure he’s gonna need one soon.” Even though Lance hadn’t consumed anything, it didn’t mean accidents could not happen. If the universe had taught him anything, it was to expect disaster at any moment.

“I’m on it.” Hunk saluted, dashing for the ship’s medical supply.

“You look like you could use a break.” Pidge held out her arms. “Let me hold him for a tic?”

Keith couldn’t agree more. Lance’s elevated body temperature was beginning to affect his own, heat leeching through the regulatory space suit and making sweat stand out on his hairline. What he wouldn’t give to change out of it.

Lance seemed too weak to care which set of arms held him though he shuffled unhappily at being moved up and away from Keith’s body. He fit comfortably against Pidge’s smaller frame, resting his little head against her shoulder.

“Geez, you weren’t kidding.” Pidge murmured, pressing her lips to Lance’s forehead. “He’s burning up!”

“Where’s Krolia?” Keith asked.

“Prepping the med lab for a diagnostic,” she swayed her hips from side to side in a rocking motion, rubbing Lance’s back. Two bright spots of pink stood out on the baby’s chubby cheeks, messy hair sticking up with sweat. “You’re all sweaty buddy!” 

Lance hiccuped and coughed.

“It’s okay Lance, we’re gonna get you better.” Keith assured, not convinced Lance understood a word he said.

“Babies like repetition. Reminds them of being back in the womb. I bet the closer we can recreate that environment, the calmer he’ll be.”

Keith sighed wearily, sagging back against the sofa cushion. “Tell that to him.” 

“He’ll be fine once we get some medicine in him. Also a wash and some food.” Pidge explained casually, walking up and down the span of the room to get a constant momentum going. It seemed to work, Pidge’s hunch about repetitive movement correct. “See? He’s calmer already.”

Keith returned her grin. Pidge was a genius.

At that moment, Hunk returned triumphantly with the Altaen equivalent of a diaper which, texturally, resembled something gauzier and ultimately softer than the waterproof plastic versions found on Earth. Keith had never handled a diaper before so he was more than happy to relinquish the task to Hunk. The mechanic, ever methodical, smoothed the opened diaper flat across the surface of the sofa before motioning to Pidge.

“Ok. Now we apply the baby!” Lance looked impossibly tiny in Hunk’s big hands but he didn’t put up much fuss as he was laid down, one small fist grasping at Hunk’s relatively enormous fingertip. Keith watched the proceedings in awe, clutching the discarded black swath of fabric that had once garbed Lance.

“Cousins. Legions of cousins.” Hunk offered by way of explanation. For all his massive strength, Hunk was incredibly gentle as he wiped down Lance’s skin with a soft damp rag. A few expert folds and tucks and Lance was effectively diapered. 

“There!” Hunk beamed, tickling Lance’s belly. “No more bare-bottom baby!” 

In a sudden burst of energy (or annoyance) Lance bucked and kicked his legs out, shrieking to be picked up again. Pidge took the honor, fascinating herself with one of his curled chubby fists. 

“It’s so widdle and mushy!” She marveled, tolerantly allowing Lance’s exploring hands to grab at her glasses. The tiny perfect knuckles and wee fingernails were things Keith hadn’t taken a moment to notice. He’d been too busy keeping him breathing. 

“Yeah! Baby fists are my favorite!” Hunk agreed, guiding one halfway into his mouth and gumming it softly. “Um-mum-mum-mum!”

It must have tickled because Lance momentarily forgot his discomfort and let out a loud giggle. 

“Still can’t believe it’s really him.” Keith huffed a tired laugh.

“Who knew he’d be this cute?” Pidge nodded.

“Well, his mom for one.” Hunk offered.

Lance, for his part, had had his fill of prodding and inspection. He began to twist in Pidge’s embrace, arms outstretched, searching for Keith.

“Should we find him something to eat?” She kissed Lance’s forehead before surrendering him back to Keith.

“Will he even take it? He’s not feeling too hot.” 

Hunk’s brows drew together pensively.

“From his size, my guess is Lance isn’t too far past the cyclic eat-poop-cry stage of gastric development. Whatever we come up with has to be uncomplicated structurally, contain just the right balance of carbohydrates and sugar all the while being gentle on his system.”

Keith perked. “Uh, do we still have Kaltenecker?”

The two lit up simultaneously.

“Perfect!” Hunk took immediate charge. “Pidge, you go find a bottle of some kind, one of the Altaen beakers should suffice. Make sure you sterilize it! I’ll go negotiate some milk from Kaltenecker and boil it to remove any impurities. Keith, you stay here and tame the baby! He’s probably starving.”

From the way Lance’s little mouth gnawed and slobbered at the neck of his spacesuit , Keith couldn’t agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaltenecker's uses are many and various. Such a good cow.


	6. Assessment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's worsening cough is assessed by Krolia and Keith learns many wondrous new things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doctor visits are never fun. For anyone.

Keith found himself alone. Again. Even with the infant cooing in his lap, he had not felt this alone since…

He’d fought a lot back then. A child that couldn’t be contained or appeased; pacified or controlled. He’d been more violent, more relentless in his drive to attain what he needed though the specialists back on Earth merely classified him emotionally disturbed—ED. His pattern of behavior might be assessed, catalogued and filed but no one back then could explain his advanced growth rate in comparison to that of his peers, his increased muscle mass or accelerated visual capacity.

How was anyone to know?

For a Galra child, biting was a normal play response. But this poor hybrid youngling didn’t even have talons or adequate molars to defend himself from aggressors. So he’d used the only thing he did have—his fists.

Lance squirmed in his lap, begging for attention. Keith wiped the streaks of drool that had formed around his mouth only to have Lance gurgle up more spit bubbles. Lance squawked before coughing up again and Keith knew immediately this time to hoist him up against his shoulder.

What did moms do that worked for kids? Lullabies? He’d already been too big for those by the time he’d been shunted from one foster home to the next. The old women of the farm workers (the few left that spoke his father’s language) were the closest he’d come to that particular facet of the human condition. A typical child he had never been. He’d eavesdropped on their soft songs and murmurs, trying to lull the infants efficiently to sleep before the workers returned from the fields. Despite being already grown and a field hand himself, he had lingered in doorways or lain in bed subversively awake, hungry for a drop of whatever beautiful magic the infants were granted freely.

Lance’s round blue eyes were glassy and focused solely on him, so trusting though Keith couldn’t begin to explain why. Lance had always trusted him. For no reason at all, Lance had put his life in Keith’s hands time and time again even before today.

Keith bent his head, burying his nose in the soft hair that mussed around his ears.

“I’ll keep you safe.” He breathed, eyes closing. “I’m right here.”

The presence of Krolia jarred his reverie. She stood at the open corridor, a rectangular box fashioned as though it originated from Earth tucked under her arm.

“Keith. We’re ready for the diagnostic.”

Keith nodded, patting Lance’s little back to assure him.

“Come on Lance, we’re gonna get you checked out.”

Lance continued to gum earnestly on the edges of his makeshift blanket while Keith lifted himself off the sofa with a slight grunt, aware of his protesting muscles. Walking alongside his mother, she directed him into a softly-lit bed chamber adjoining the cyropod deck.

“What’s that?” Keith indicated the box as she set it down on a long steel table.

“Tools. Relics from my time on Earth. Lance is a human infant, he should be examined like one.” She opened the box, reverently running her fingers over the very recognizable medical equipment stored there. “I haven’t seen these in a very long time. The sterilization process took longer than I recalled.”

“You were a doctor?” Keith’s eyebrows raised.

“No, a refugee. Your father had the training. He helped bring you into this world.” She commented, arranging the tools one by one on the flat cold surface. Keith watched her in a daze, only recognizing a handful of the objects. A miniature IV cannula, a stethoscope, otoscope...

“These were the tools he used to assess you when you made your debut. I’ll use them now to examine Lance. All quintessence aside, he is deteriorating at an alarming rate and we must discover why. Keith, you will help me.”

“Wait, I can’t—“ Keith stuttered.

“He trusts you most. I suspect that was the case even before his transformation. Give him to me.”

Lance stretched out his little arm for Keith as Keith lifted him away from his body. He whined, making a fearful whimper when he realized he wasn't being returned immediately to his favored heat source.

“It’s ok Lance, we’re not gonna hurt ya.” Keith assured but the moment Lance transferred to Krolia’s hands, he began to cry.

"Don't lie to him." Unfazed, Krolia laid him down on the cold examination table. “Calmly.” She told him. “This will be over soon.”

The baby was inconsolable, thrashing his little arms and legs and howling. Keith could only stand aside, uncertain of what to do but await orders. He wanted to bolt from the room but listening to Lance scream from any other location in the palace was just as bad.

“Comfort him.” Krolia suggested, uncapping a sterile thermometer. Keith was 100% sure what she meant by that but he leaned in closer to obey, making soft shushing noises. He was too afraid to touch him. Lance wasn't listening anyway. Fat tears rolled down his flushed cheeks.

“He’s freaking out!” 

“You would too. Now lay him on his belly and keep talking, just like back on the ship. Infants respond to auditory stimuli from their guardians.”

“Sounds like you’ve done this before.” Keith grunted as he carefully turned Lance over, keeping a gentle hand on his back as he screamed. 

“Keep him still. He’s not going to like where I put this temperature gauge and I don’t want to cause any damage.”

“Is this necessary?” Keith frowned as he tried to capture both of Lance’s kicking feet under his palm. 

“Unfortunately, yes. His core temperature can help identify what kind of bacteria we’re dealing with.”

Keith didn't have to try too hard to keep Lance immobile once he clamped his much larger hand across Lance's back. Lance’s little body was too weak to pull off any serious wiggling as Krolia hitched down his diaper with one careful finger. Without so much as a flinch, she inserted and held the thermometer in place. Keith couldn’t help wincing in sympathy. He kept himself focused on keeping Lance still as possible, constantly in the baby’s immediate line of vision to reassure him. Lance fretted and whimpered under Keith’s firm grip.

“I know, I know.” Krolia soothed, stroking a finger down the baby’s shivering back. “You hated this too when you were his age.”

Keith recoiled. “What?”

“Your father handled most of the unpleasant tasks whenever you fell ill.”

“Dad? He took care of me?” 

“What else are sires for?” She replied, withdrawing the thermometer and recording its reading on her datapad. She patted Lance’s diapered bottom apologetically. 

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Lance spat up clear bubbles in response and coughed.

“Alright, you can pick him up and hold him while I finish the exam.”

Somehow, Keith found himself feeling relieved and almost grateful to have Lance in his arms again. Something about the way he fit so readily against his body, instinctively clinging to it, gave him as much a sense of security as it did the baby. In the short time it took to settle into a chair, Lance was instantly calmer.

He lay limply against Keith’s chest while Krolia measured his vitals. The blood pressure cuff wrapped around his tiny foot and the pulse-ox monitor were easier data to obtain. He recoiled at the unwelcome touch of her stethoscope, whimpering and squirming away. He buried his face into Keith’s neck. Krolia paused as the baby’s whimpers began to develop into sobs.

“This is best done if he’s breathing, not screaming.” Krolia sighed. “I need to hear how his lungs are functioning.”

“Try warming it up?” Keith suggested, patting Lance on the back to stop the approaching tantrum. Krolia complied but Lance would not let the diaphragm touch him.  
Keith sighed. “Jeez Lance. Are we really gonna have to hold you down for this?”

“Wait.” Krolia unhooked the instrument from around her neck and placed it in Lance’s tiny hands. Instantly fascinated by the new toy, Lance’s cries melted into wet hiccups as he jammed the shiny metal disc into his mouth. Krolia chuckled as Keith lamely attempted to pry it away.

“Uchh! No, that doesn’t go there dude!”

“That’s how most infants gain information.” Krolia grinned, in the next breath she ordered: “Unzip.” 

Keith was startled. “What? Why?” 

“If he sees it’s safe on you, he’ll know it’s safe on him.”

Keith rolled his eyes but found the clasp at the side of his neck. Pulling it free, he tugged the form-fitting fabric down far enough to bare his shoulders. Krolia gently maneuvered the stethoscope away from Lance’s mouth and positioned the metal bell just underneath his collar bone. 

“Take a breath. Familiarize him with the program.” She instructed.

Obediently, Keith filled his chest and released. Lance’s wandering hands batted at the tubing, transfixed on what Krolia was doing. Keith couldn’t hide his grin at Lance’s wide eyes. 

“See?” Keith assured him. “No big thing.” 

Krolia's eyes shone. “Very good. It’s your turn now, small one.” 

Maybe it was the praise or the uplifted lilt to her voice but Lance put up next to no resistance when Krolia placed the bell against his back. His little lungs worked hard and Keith could feel them move up and down against him. Even without the stethoscope, Keith could detect an audible wheeze whenever Lance inhaled.

“I’m hearing some crackles in the upper quadrant.” Krolia murmured. 

She switched the bell to Lance’s chest and Keith shifted the pudgy body slightly around to grant her access. 

“I’m afraid the infection is advanced. Not sure how the universe found the time but it’s what we’re up against.” Krolia sighed. “There’s buildup in his airways and he’s not getting the oxygen he needs.” 

Keith bounced the baby’s weight against his shoulder, worried.

“Next move?”

“I’m going start a rehydration drip. You’ll wanna brace him and yourself, he’s definitely not going to enjoy this.”

“Can’t we just…let it run its course? Give him antibiotics and fluids orally?” He rubbed Lance’s back as Lance began to cough.

“He’s too little to expel the matter on his own.” She murmured, removing the stethoscope. “Lay him on the table.” She moved to enter her findings on the pad.  
Lance whimpered, pressing his hot face deeper into Keith’s neck. Keith felt his grip on the little body tighten protectively. Drips meant needles. 

“I know, Keith. I’ll be quick.” Krolia slipped on a pair of latex gloves. Keith sighed.

“At least, put a blanket down? This table is like ice and he’s already worked up.”

“Now you’re thinking like a guardian.” Krolia hummed, tossing a fabric roll to him.

Keith reluctantly loosened Lance’s tightly curled grip on his uniform. Immediately and predictably, Lance began to fuss but he was too worn out to cry as he was laid out on the cotton medical blanket. Air had become too precious. With Lance on his back, Keith could easily see his torso. Krolia pointed a finger at Lance’s belly as it heaved desperately up and down. 

“He’s using his abdominal muscles to help move air in and out and the effort is tiring him. We’ll give him oxygen support and monitor him from your quarters.”

Keith’s face darkened at the tiny wheezing noises, the desperate struggle to breathe. Somehow the lying down position aggravated the breathing.

Lance rubbed at his eyes and whimpered, making pitiful sounds between gasps. Both fat arms reached up, grabbing for Keith, seeking comfort. His large blue eyes were glassy and wet.

“Alright, first I’m going to administer some medicine intravenously. Then we’re going to apply some cooling packs for his fever.” Keith nodded, understanding, even though his belly tightened in anticipation of the proceedings. Krolia readied the injection while Keith prepped Lance’s chubby thigh, grasping it firmly to swipe it down with an alcohol pad. He glanced at Krolia, nodding silently. 

“Forgive me, Lance.” Krolia crooned. In the injection went, swiftly and expertly disappearing beneath the baby’s skin. Lance instantly drew his little legs up against his belly, face bright and hot as a coal. His overtaxed lungs expanded, trying to yell out in shock and rage but the air wouldn’t come and he choked instead, gagging hideously. Krolia withdrew the needle and applied a bio-patch to the site. Quick as a flash, she grabbed a sterile suction tube, inserting it into Lance’s gurgling mouth to extract a sizable amount of thick fluid.

Keith watched in horror.

“He’s fine.” Krolia asserted.

Lance screamed even as Keith wiped the excess sputum from his hot little face. He ached to pick him up but Krolia was not done yet. Keith noted with relief that as long as Lance was screaming, he was breathing.

“That’s done.” Krolia murmured. Grasping Lance’s other leg; she gently straightened it and squeezed a little to locate a vein in his foot before prepping. Lance did manage a full-on screech as the larger IV syringe went in but Krolia was swift as she was meticulous and the procedure ended in seconds, the fine plastic tubing delivering the saline secured with a piece of medical tape.

“You can pick him up now.” She said, cleaning the table. “Just be careful with the line.”

“Sure you don’t want the honor?” Keith desperately wanted a shower and his bed.

“I just stuck two needles in him, he’s gonna hate me for the next few vargas.”

Holding two hands beneath Lance’s shoulders, he gently lifted the infant off the table, careful to support his head. Krolia tucked the small saline bag into his bicep as he rocked gently from side to side in an effort to calm the hysterical baby. Lance sobbed and howled, hot little body pushing weakly against him. The screams were broken by spasms of coughing; the poor thing could not even get enough air in his lungs to scream with. Keith wished desperately he were better trained at this.

“Uh, some help here?”

“He’ll stop once the pain passes.” She spoke from the sink as she rinsed her hands. “Or once his energy runs out, whichever comes first.”

“Know any Galra lullabies?” Keith shot back. Krolia frowned at the word, rinsing her hands in the sink. “Lullabies? Oh, you mean songs? No, the Galra do not sing to their young.”

“Yeah? What do they do then?”

“Give him to me and I’ll show you.” She said, drying her hands on her slacks.

Keith was all too willing to surrender the noisy infant to her. Krolia seated herself comfortably and arranged Lance on her lap so that his back lay against her chest. Tucking his small head beneath her chin, she closed her eyes and stayed very still. Lance did not take well to the position at first, thrashing and struggling in her grip but Krolia held him firmly, her breathing slow and steady. Eventually, the frantic movements of his arms and legs grew sluggish. His sobs turned to fretful whimpers. His eyelids began to flutter.

Keith stared in amazement. What was she doing? Was it some alien mysticism? She met his wide-eyed gaze and answered it.

“Purring. It’s how Galra mothers comfort their young.”

Keith’s ears picked up a subtle rumbling emanating from deep behind her breastbone. Absently, he touched his sternum.

“Can I…do that?”

“I’m not sure. You might have the adaptation. The muscle sits between your larynx and your chest plate.” She tapped the small spot for emphasis.

Keith tried to feel for it but found he could not locate anything out of the ordinary.

“Here, give it a shot.” She gently transferred Lance’s sleepy form into Keith’s arms, careful not to tangle the lead of the IV. Keith could feel how hot he was, radiating feverish heat like an ember. He smoothed down the mussed, damp hair covering Lance’s forehead. It was incredibly soft and fine. When Lance began to cough, he smoothed one hand up and down Lance’s back to break up the congestion in his little lungs. 

“Hold him against your chest so he can detect the vibrations. Relax your mind. The reflex won’t occur naturally unless your own body is calm and content.”

Keith tried but his brain couldn’t function. He was too nervous. Krolia shrugged.

“Maybe you haven’t the right instinct after all. When Galra mothers are content, this ritual soothes the infant and reassures them when they are afraid.”

“Guess I’m too human.” He sighed. 

“Not a shortcoming.” She smiled. “Let him hear your heartbeat instead. It should serve.”

Lance stirred, lashes fluttering delicately against his flushed cheek. One tiny fist tangled in the back of Keith’s hair, the other lodged in his mouth, sucking contentedly. Keith held him close to his chest and let his mind drift.

He sincerely doubted he’d be getting any sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance survive baby's checkup! Bound to get worse before it gets better, dudes.  
> Lance is so lucky to have such loving Galra caretakers to watch over him.


	7. Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle weary Keith gets some down time thanks to Hunk's genius and Shiro's expertise.

Keith couldn’t help but cringe seeing Lance like this even though, at the moment, it was the most peaceful he’d been since the start of his ordeal. He knew that the multitude of wires and tubes connected to Lance’s body were necessary. Still, Keith could not rationalize away the coldness that had settled in his stomach. A tiny cannula fed pure oxygen into his system, the apparatus impossibly small for such a tiny nose. The line connected to his chubby forearm supplied fluids and medicine because Lance was too weak to eat or even drink. A test with the milk supplied by Hunk resulted in disaster. Lance was only able to maintain a weak latch for a few seconds before he was spitting up all over himself and Keith. By that point, he’d done so much crying that he could only mewl piteously and cling to Keith while Krolia wiped him clean.

“We’ll try again later.” She’d assured Keith, seeing the expression on his face. “He needs rest more than anything else right now.”

Coran had administered an alchemic agent through the IV line after cross-referencing with Krolia’s exam results which, according to Allura, would not fight the infection but reverse the quintessence imbalance that had altered Lance’s DNA in the first place. The sooner Lance reverted back to adulthood, the sooner his matured immune system could fight the bacteria naturally. Allura’s estimates were only guesses but she was confident Lance would return to stasis.

While all the grown-ups fretted, Lance slept. There had been no sleep space suitable for a sick infant anywhere on the spacecraft and certainly nothing resembling a crib. Hunk, in his ingenuity, had not been idle. During the examination, he’d been innovative enough to fashion an incubator-like box from panels of a clear material resembling plexiglass that Pidge claimed was scattered about her work station. 

With Coran’s input, he’d even installed a self-adjusting thermos-regulator, a holographic stat monitor and a charming alien mobile to distract the baby and take the unsettling edge off the hanging IV bag. The makeshift project took a matter of hours to complete but somewhere in that interim, thankfully, Lance had found sleep in Keith’s arms. Not a natural sleep, the medication and painkillers had only just begun working, but sleep by any definition at all was fine by Keith at the moment.

He could really use some of his own right now. 

“Figure this oughta keep the little guy in one place so we can monitor him while he gets some shut-eye.” Hunk flourished proudly as he finished programming the bio-monitor. Apparently, a softly pulsing light underneath the base was meant to change color if Lance’s oxygen levels, heart rate or temperature triggered an alert.  
Keith was grateful to give his aching arms a rest as he placed Lance’s damp body flat against the surface. It was sparse and unadorned, covered only with a light layer of cotton material and a thin blanket. An artificial cold pack was placed beneath his trunk and across his forehead to stabilize his temperature though the sluggish baby grimaced and bleated the moment his skin made contact with it. Krolia gave him a thumb to grasp for comfort as she checked his breathing and heart rate once more, grateful when Lance opted to fall back to sleep rather than cry. The gentle hiss of the oxygen tank soon became the only sound as Keith dimmed the light to his room. 

“Poor Lance.” Murmured Allura, gazing into the crib. One finger gently traced his upturned chubby fist, his little toes. She addressed Keith who had collapsed onto his mattress with a ragged sigh. “Now that he’s asleep, perhaps I can take watch for a moment?”

Keith listened to the princess speak as though she were far away, eyes glazed over with exhaustion.

“Keith?”

Keith nodded dumbly, getting the message. 

“Just gonna….take a shower.” He said thickly, working his dry throat.

His limbs felt like they hadn’t been owned by him for days, so bent on remaining stable and steady supporting Lance’s weight, it was pure torture standing up. The prolonged and gratifying stretch he engaged once safely in the privacy of the empty corridor was epic. Lumbering his way to the shower on unsteady feet, he fumbled blindly in the linen storage until he found some loose training clothes. He found himself pausing as he held the once-familiar garments in his hands. He’d been with the Blades for so long, he’d nearly forgotten the scent of Earth. 

Peeling off the form-fitting protective lycra suit, he let it pool abandoned around his feet as he stepped into the shower.

The hot water was bliss against his aching muscles, washing away the stress of the mission and melting his anxiety. He closed his eyes, simply letting the water cascade against him for a few moments before soaping up, refusing to let the growing sense of dread take over. He’d almost lost a comrade today, more than that a friend. Though he’d witnessed the fall of more than one ally in his time with the Blades, Lance was not like them. Not prepared for death and not so easily accepting of it. He was of Earth, a fighter in his own right, and he had a family to return to. 

He pushed the thought from his mind with an angry grunt, seizing the soap and working up lather.

Freshly clothed and feeling more like himself again, he was grateful to re-enter the corridor to find it completely silent. It meant Lance was not awake and was getting the rest his infected body so desperately needed.

He sauntered back to his quarters to find Allura seated in a chair close against the the incubator, eyes darting over a scanning pad.

“Hey.” He said. “How is he?”

“Sleeping like a baby.” She murmured. “Thank the Stars, I don’t know what I’d have done if he’d started crying while you were gone. I’m not very confident around infants.”

“But….” Keith had always assumed girls had a natural instinct for mothering. Allura smiled warmly, not bothering to reproach him. She placed a gentle hand on the top of his head and ruffled his hair, smirking gently. 

“I’m a monarch as well but I’m afraid neither my sex nor my status qualify me.” She raised herself from the chair with natural ease. “And now I must go. We are about to hold a summit with a nearby fleet of Comterods. They might know something about Lotor’s location. Will you be alright with him?”

Keith’s eyes flickered across the stats on the incubator, noting the regular frequencies of the data flow and the gently pulsing light. He assumed they meant Lance was stable but he couldn’t be sure until he placed his palm over the baby’s stomach, feeling the gentle rise and fall.

“I’ll be fine.” He said, settling himself in the chair.

His eyes were closed before Allura had even departed.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
He hadn’t meant to fall asleep but his body had done exactly what he feared it might—crashed. He was next aware of waking to a dim room covered in shadows. Disoriented, adrenaline instantly flared in his veins. Through his exhaustion, his eyes automatically shot to the incubator.  
Lance was gone.

“Huh?” Keith started, breath catching in his chest. His heart began to race in panic.

“Oh. You’re awake.”

Keith’s addled senses took in his surroundings, calming at the sound of Shiro’s voice. Blinking back sleep, his vision cleared to find Shiro seated on his mattress, Lance wrapped in a blanket in his arms. Keith strained to see in the dimmed light. Was that…a bottle in his hand?

“Shiro?”

“You needed your sleep.” Shiro said by way of explanation. 

“Lance! Is he--?”

“He’s fine. Quite hungry in fact.” Shiro said and indeed, Keith could hear the gentle sucking and gurgling sounds from the baby as he drank. Shiro appeared utterly relaxed, holding the bottle steady and supporting Lance’s body upright so he could eat.

“Didn’t mean to…ungh…drop off.” Keith swiped angrily at his eyes, his voice rasping from sleep. “Lance needed me.”

“Heard that before.” Shiro grinned.

“He’s okay with you?” Keith’s eyebrow lifted.

“To be honest, he’s okay with anything at all attached to this bottle.” Shiro gave a small chuckle when Lance’s tiny hands grabbed onto the bottle. “Little man is ravenous.”  
Keith released a tired exhale.

“He’s eating. Good. Krolia said that was a good sign.”

“That it is. Ooops.” Shiro hitched Lance higher up on his shoulder to give him a gentle pat on the back with his palm, releasing a tiny burp and a cough.

“You’re pretty good with him. Ever thought about having kids?”

“Actually, I had.” He tilted his head. “Just never got around to everything in between. Takes a lot of work developing into the kind of person ready to be a parent. Space exploration doesn’t leave time for much of anything.”

“Worked for the Holts.”

“Which is why Sam is and will always be my hero. But he was invested in academia the majority of his career. A fighter pilot at the Garrison takes on more active duties. No time for kids and they take a lotta work.”

“I’m beginning to see that.” Keith sighed, wandering over to touch the baby’s forehead with the back of his fingers. “He feels a little cooler.”

A small wet sound emitted from Lance. 

“All done, little man?” Shiro asked, wiping excess milk from his mouth. Lance hiccupped and gurgled contentedly. Keith was grateful to see Lance looking and acting more like a healthy baby in Shiro’s arms. Shiro had a way of making all life forms feel protected, safe and secure. 

“It’s all about communication.” Shiro explained, patting Lance’s belly. “Lance doesn’t have words yet so he’s gotta use whatever he does have to let us know what he wants.”

The moment those words left his mouth, an unpleasant odor filled the room. Keith’s face paled.

“Oh man, is that--?” His nose wrinkled. Shiro picked Lance swiftly up and away from his lap and did a quick diaper check.

“—one way to get a message across.”

Lance shoved a fist in his mouth and grinned.


	8. Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance does not go gently into any good night. Fortunately, Shiro is there to help.

Keith steeled himself for the second diaper-change of his short but less than ordinary life. The smell was overbearing but once he rationalized that it was nothing anyone could forsee or help, it went easier. He quickly deposited the used diaper into a receptacle while Shiro located a fresh one. 

He’d never been required to clean another human being. Lance’s present state had made him completely vulnerable—no, dependent on others for the slightest thing. He realized this as he lifted Lance’s chubby legs and gently wiped him clean, careful not to get caught up in the sensors and IV lines still attached to his body. The feel of the soap and damp washcloth on his skin were not pleasant to Lance, apparently from the way he squirmed and whined. Even a second away from his blanket or the warmth of another’s skin made him fret and whimper. 

“Why does he do that?” Keith wondered out loud.

“He’s just reacting to the cold and letting you know his feelings on the matter.” Shiro always managed somehow to maintain a matter-of-fact tone regardless of the crisis. 

“But we’re helping!” Keith protested, sprinkling some talcum over Lance’s bare bottom. “He’s clean now. Definitely smells better.”

“Babies are all about the here and now.” Shiro explained, flattening out a clean cotton blanket on the changing table. “They like being warm and wrapped up.”

“I love the way you just remedy everything.” Keith sighed. Shiro had an explanation for all universal mysteries. Keith had never stopped existing in awe of it as Shiro picked up a now diapered and clean Lance and laid him in the center of the small blanket. A few intricate tucks and folds gently but securely hugged Lance’s wriggling arms and legs close to his body. He left the swaddling around Lance’s chest a little looser so as not to constrict breathing. 

“You sure you never took Dad classes?” Keith narrowed his eyes at Shiro’s handiwork.

“This is how my mom wrapped my dad’s _obento_.” Shiro chuckled. “Some life skills overlap I guess.” He offered the now quiet bundle to Keith. “Here you go, Commander. Prepped and ready for lights out.”

Keith had since changed into a soft Altean standard robe that opened at his throat. No matter how he tried to keep it closed, Lance kept wriggling in his arms to press his hot cheek against the one patch of bare skin beneath his collar bone. 

Shiro yawned, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. He stretched his creaking joints, frowning at his cryogenic arm as he tested his wrist. “Oughta ask Pidge if she can smooth out these carpal hinges.” He turned and headed for the door.

Keith’s stomach dropped at the notion of his anchor departing. 

“But what if Lance…?” 

Lulled by the warmth and skin to skin contact, the baby had drifted to sleep. His warm weight settled snugly beneath Keith’s chin.

Shiro smiled. “He’s always trusted you, Keith.” Shiro’s eyes scanned the flickering readout of Lance’s fluctuating stats hovering over the crib. His brows lifted. “Temp down, heart rate stable, even his oxygen output improves when you hold him.”

A terrifying thought struck Keith. Would putting Lance down make him worse? He shuddered and clutched Lance tighter against his chest, a deep sigh betraying his insecurity. He didn’t have to say a word for Shiro to read him.

“Hey. If you can navigate an x-20 dynotherm cruiser through a meteor shower with 20% visibility outside a sim, you can handle this.”

“You’re putting way too much faith in me, Shiro.”

“That’s because I trust you too.”

Keith felt Shiro’s hand parting his bangs to place a kiss on his temple. Shiro was the only human being he willingly accepted affection from, whether by casual touch or a kind word, only Shiro was privy to his heart behind the wall. That soft press of lips was nothing more than a reminder. _You are loved, you are worthy of love and I am here for you._

With a click of the door, he was gone.

Lance bleated in his arms, opening his small mouth wide in a yawn. Keith patted his back, making small absent shushing noises. Before he began to feel drowsy himself, he hefted himself up and off the cushioned chair to set Lance gently down in his crib, the thrum of the glowing stats flashing across his face. The soft shuffling sounds coming from the sleeping baby put him at ease. After a quick check to make sure his airways were clear, Keith felt safe enough to retreat back to his own bed.

“Feel better, buddy.” Keith whispered.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The peace could not last.

Keith jolted up from the mattress, not even realizing that he’d sunk into a coma on it. High-pitched wails amplified in his sleep-numbed ears, making his heart pound. Blinking away sleep, he fumbled for the light switch, practically stumbling out of bed to check on Lance.

The stat readout confirmed his fear. Lance’s temperature was up. The strained choking hitch of his breathing relayed respiratory distress. Careful not to entangle the IV, Keith picked Lance up and held him close to his chest, hoping the upright position would ease his breathing but no dice. Lance continued to struggle for air. Fighting panic, he did a quick diaper check and found Lance to be clean. The baby’s skin was worryingly hot, red from head to toe. Panic coursed through Keith but it was far too late into the night to call for help. Lance needed help now, right that very second.

An idea formed in his frantic mind.

“I know, I know you’re sick. Just hold on.” He muttered, cradling Lance securely in one arm.

Kicking the bathroom door open, he fumbled for the shower lever. As steam filled the room, he let the constant whisper of the water stream against the tile provide stasis for his brain while Lance sobbed and hiccupped. Gently unwrapping his swaddling, he zipped down Lance’s onesie. 

Krolia had given him a strong-smelling ointment made from Olkarion medicinal plants to rub on the baby’s skin. The thick ointment tingled gently on his fingertips and smelled overpoweringly of mint. Sitting Lance on his knee, he did his best to comfort, rubbing slow circles on Lance’s small back as the steam did its work to open up his airways.

“This stuff stinks but it’s gonna make you better, I promise.” Keith wasn’t sure if he was speaking more to Lance or himself. Childcare, so far, had been a series of promises he only hoped he could keep. He swirled the dime sized dot of ointment across Lance’s heaving chest with his fingertip, letting the medicated vapors permeate the air around him. That done, he could only sway the frightened baby in his arms, praying for a miracle.

A sharp horrible gagging made his stomach clench. Lance coughed up a frightening wad of mucus. Without even thinking, Keith’s instinct kicked in. Grabbing a washcloth, he quickly wiped the offending matter away from Lance’s small face. Lance coughed and gagged a bit more and Keith waited, towel at the ready, but nothing more came up. Relieved, he flung the towel into the sink and began to wrap Lance up in the blanket again.

He was overheated and flushed himself from the steam as he stepped into the coolness of his bedroom. Lance’s breathing was better and his coughing had subsided into tiny wheezes. Aimlessly, he paced the room, walking up and down with Lance on his shoulder. Lance’s crying turned to a different timbre, a frustrated and exhausted wail. He fidgeted and squirmed, not understanding why the air wouldn’t come. His little body was so sweaty and hot that Keith, for lack of better advice, removed his onesie and sat him in his diaper on his own mattress.

The coolness of the sheets and the new scent of the bed must have provided some relief because Lance settled down immediately. Inspired, Keith dampened a washcloth and wiped it across Lance’s little face and chest, wiping away old sweat and tears. He moved the cloth all over Lance’s hot skin, his little legs, his hands and feet.

“Feels better, yeah?” Keith asks.

“DYAH!” Bubbles of spit gathered at Lance’s mouth in agreement. 

“Uh, is that baby talk for yes?” Lance squealed and arched up his back against the mattress, arms reaching upward. Keith couldn’t hide his smile. Lance was pretty cute, especially when he was feeling better. A memory stirred in his brain. When he’d been a child of the field hands and in charge of watching the babies, he’d sometimes played with them. Their dark, wondering eyes and tiny hands were irresistible. He bent down his head and blew a raspberry into Lance’s chubby belly.

A tiny peal of laughter and a giggle. Keith released an exhausted exhale, nearly sobbing with relief. These were the best sounds Keith had heard since this adventure began. Lance happy. Lance breathing. 

“Alright Buddy, bed time.” The moment Keith broke contact from the baby; he began to whimper and shake with fear, two arms waving in the air, reaching frantically for him.

“Huh?” Keith, bleary-eyed, wasn’t sure what to make of this but Lance’s frantic high pitched hoots grounded him in his tracks. “What do you want?”

In response, Lance shuddered and held out his chubby arms until Keith picked him up again. 

“Uh…you wanna stay with me?” Keith gazed longingly at his abandoned bed. Lance continued whimpering, verging on a full on cry only calming when Keith’s shoulders dropped in exhausted defeat.

“Alright.” He sighed heavily. “But just for tonight.” 

He was too exhausted to argue with an infant and unwilling to let a sick baby cry himself to sleep.

He deposited himself on the mattress, settling back into his pillows and supporting Lance’s small frame in his arms. Arranging the tiny warm body carefully across his chest, he kept a hand rooted against his back to keep him stable. He could feel the quick rise and fall of Lance’s breathing under his palm. Tiny wet gurgles and gentle sucking noises as Lance’s fingers found his working mouth. 

He didn’t even remember falling asleep.


	9. MAINTENANCE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith makes new discoveries about infants and their needs.

The nocturnal cycle ended when the soft glow of his chamber’s biometric protocol flared out in gradients from above, painting his ceiling in waves of tinted light. Coming back to consciousness lying on his side was disagreeable, arm and shoulder creaking from the unfamiliar position. Lance lay curled up against his belly like a mini-heater. He shifted and whined at the change in position as Keith arched his back with a yawn. Lance had slept through the night somehow without crisis. He was warm and breathing, one small fist lodged in his mouth. The bag of fluids still attached to his foot was now shriveled up and empty.

Which explained the sharp odor and uncomfortable dampness soaking into the sheets.

“Ungh!”

Groaning, Keith pushed himself off the mattress and fumbled around the bassinet for a fresh diaper.

Krolia’s face materialized on his console before he could fully shake off the grogginess.

“So you both survived the night.”

“He peed on me.” Keith muttered.

“Price you pay.” Krolia peered over Keith’s shoulder into the crib, frowning. “Where is he?”

“My bed. He was fussing all night even after I did the shower thing.”

“Any improvements in his resp?”

“Yeah, it helped. IV needs changing, though.”

Keith’s wandering hands landed triumphantly on the spare diaper folded into the storage compartment of the medical bassinet. Hunk thought of everything, didn’t he?

“I’m on my way. Please be clean before I get there.” Krolia signed off. Keith huffed a tired smirk.

If he were truthful, it was honestly easier caring for Lance without an audience. Sure, Shiro was a constant teacher and Pidge an unflagging source of genius but being left alone to sort a challenge gave him space to fuck up on his own terms. So long as Lance didn’t get hurt in the process.

It all seemed like common sense and guessing anyway.

Setting the dry diaper on the flat surface of the crib, he lumbered back to his defamed mattress to collect Lance. He wasn’t sure about removing the IV so he just gathered the useless bag up with the blanket and half-awake child attached to it. While the sink filled, he laid a clean towel on the floor and disposed of the soiled diaper. Exposed to the biting air, Lance’s little hands curled into fists and he began to fuss, wiping at his eyes over and over. 

“Sshh! Shhh! Sorry!” Was all Keith had at the moment. Woke, damp, cold, naked and unclean on a bathroom floor, Keith could hardly blame Lance for being vocal. Adopting Shiro’s _obento_ strategy, he quickly swaddled Lance up in the towel before his shivering had a chance to peak. 

“You are one manky little organism, dude.” Keith informed him as he stood up to test the water temperature. Satisfied, he hoisted the packaged infant up onto the sink. 

Arranging him in the crook of his arm, he went about gently wiping down Lance’s face with a clean hand towel. He wasn’t exactly sure how to tell when he was done. Lance’s face wasn’t visibly dirty but he supposed sweat and tears were things that needed wiping. Lance tolerated the wiping moderately, making shuffling noises, eyes half-closed as though he’d much rather fall back to sleep than be washed.

“Ok dude, don’t get mad.” Keith gently tugged loose the towel burrito. Lance’s body tensed initially, respiration picking up and building towards full on howl. Before he could accomplish any serious wiggling or protesting, Keith slid him upright in the water, holding his head and supporting his back so he couldn’t slip under to his doom.

The transition was less traumatic than he’d anticipated. Squirting some unidentifiable Olkari rice-based oil into the water, he dipped his palm face up in the lukewarm water and began pouring it over Lance’s chest and belly, careful not to let the dried up used saline bag fall into the sink. 

To his relieved surprise, Lance fell back to sleep. Being sick and a baby, Keith assumed that meant every kind of outer stimuli that wasn’t food produced outrage. He was relieved to find that Lance disagreed or was just too weak to care. Employing the rag, he wiped down Lance’s body thoroughly, concentrating where he’d soiled himself. The Olkari oil smelled soothing and vaguely almond like and whatever magical effect it had on his senses seemed double on Lance. Unsure how long he should keep Lance submerged, he opted to finish before the water got too cold and Lance began shivering. Lance squawked at the sudden shift in temperature as he was lifted up and out of the water. He whimpered while Keith patted him dry as quickly as possible, mussing his dark crown of damp curls.

“One of you needs a shower.” Krolia spoke from the door frame, arms crossed.

“Diaper’s in the crib! Be right out!” Keith quipped, happily surrendering a now crotchety though cleaned baby into her arms. He swiped another towel from the rack and shut the door for privacy. Maybe it was the startling sensation of the partition slamming shut against the frame or the sudden swiftness of his exit, but as soon as Keith turned for the shower, Lance began to scream.

Keith paused. This was a different pay grade of wail.

He agonized for only a moment. He was gross and unwashed and he really needed to pee. 

He could hear Lance screaming even over the hiss of the shower. Worry began to knot involuntarily in his stomach. Wasn’t he safe with Krolia? What could possibly be the issue now? Krolia might not be the cuddly sort but at least she was competent.

In record time he soaped up, rinsed and dragged a pump of shampoo through his neglected hair. Tugging on a set of sweatpants and pulling a clean T-shirt over his still wet back, he stepped out to find Lance screaming in his crib while Krolia attempted with difficulty to assess his breathing.

“Didja break him?” Keith winced at the high-pitched yowls. Krolia yanked one ear bud of the stethoscope down to hear better.  
“Perhaps I should have mentioned that babies tend to panic when their parents leave the room or step outside their line of vision. Once your scent signature leaves, to him that means you’re gone forever.”

Keith didn’t quite know how to process that. Imagine feeling so helpless and abandoned every time someone shut a door!

“I’ll take him.” Relieved to find Krolia had already undertaken the task of diapering Lance, he leaned over the crib. Lance’s arms immediately reached for him, chubby face ruddy and tear-stained. Holding him close to his body, he could feel his tiny heart thumping hard against his chest like a hammer. He frowned.

“His heart’s beating kinda fast.” Keith patted his back, muffling his whimpers into his shoulder.

“He’s worked up. Why don’t you sit and calm him down while I take out his IV?” 

Keith nodded, pulling up his desk chair and sitting down with Lance. “Shhh, sorry dude. I’m right here. It’s ok.” 

It seemed he did a lot of apologizing to Lance in this form and he wondered why he bothered. Lance responded to touch, to his warmth, to his scent. To how securely his little body was supported in his arms. That, as far as Keith knew, was a baby-standard apology. 

He could hear Krolia’s smirk as she knelt at his side, expertly removing the tubing and cannula. Wiping it clean with a sterile wipe, she placed a band-aid on the tiny sole. Lance’s sobs quickly dissolved into hiccups the longer Keith held him, quieting enough to let Krolia listen to his lungs. He barked out a brief cough now and then but otherwise, he was steady. 

“Temp is down according to these stats. And he sounds much clearer.” She hummed. “That medication the Olkari sent really opened up his lungs. I was worried we would have to intubate.”

“Did they have any insight on getting him back to normal? I’m glad he’s not as sick but we can’t form Voltron without Lance.”

“Coran was up all night. He’ll debrief you.” She stood from her crouched position with a grunt, stretching her arms behind her back. “But right now, breakfast.”

The warm wet spot of drool growing against Keith’s neck agreed with her.

**Author's Note:**

> In this universe, the castle still exists plus one Krolia. I adore Krolia and her not-mom relationship with Keith. Writers handled her and her story very well, especially as Keith handles his reunification with someone he's essentially never met.
> 
> Another work inspired by MilkTeaMiku's de-aged series, now with added Krolia!


End file.
